Hope
by lusifergirl45
Summary: Ayasha comes home to La Push in search of one thing: Hope. An abusive boyfriend left her running from her family's home in Alabama in fear of her life, and also left her with more responsibility than she's used to. Hopefully Ayasha's brother Jared can help, and hopefully she can find hope. PaulxOC Mentions of rape/abuse/sexual content. M for safety
1. Chapter 1

I grew up in La Push until I was in the middle of 8th grade, which is basically the worst time a person can move. The beginning of the year has passed, and so have the initial 2 years of junior high. Everyone knows one another and tightly knit circles have been formed and solidified. I was the loner for the rest of that year and spent the summer Skyping my best friends from home and watching way too much TV.

We had moved from my childhood home of La Push to the odd and foreign Rural, Alabama. My dad had passed when I was a child and my mom had found a new love in Davis McDaniels, a rich, southern Irish man whose house was built with slave stairways and outside cabins for said slaves to live in, back in the early 1800's.

The town itself was small and filled with gossip. The boys were dirtbags hidden by gentlemanly manners and the girls all wanted to be the next homecoming queen, no matter the cost.

So basically it was the exact opposite of me and my life before we moved, the exact opposite of La Push and what I loved, but mom was happy and we didn't have to worry about money anymore. Plus, Davis was very nice to us all. He was a businessman, one that was in shape and kind, truly and from the bottom of his heart.

Over the years, Davis began to really be apart of the family. He became the father figure that I never had and even gave me my younger siblings, twins, Laina and Jaime.

My name is Ayasha Melody Cameron, and I love living with my family, and I love my family, but its time for me to go home.

"Call me when you get there, make sure your brother has been treating the Lahote's nicely, I love you, be safe!" It almost seems as if my mother has a checklist in her head of things to say to me before I leave. "I'll bring the twins to visit in a few weeks!" she kissed both of my cheeks and I hugged her back.

"I love you too, Mamma. I'll see you soon." Pulling back from the hug, I crouched down and hugged each of the twins separately, ignoring the tears running down my face. "Bye Laina, bye Jame." I kissed their soft foreheads and looked into their matching huge brown eyes. The twins are just scratching 3 years old and it seems so odd in my mind that they are so young, but I'm happy mom is so happy and in love with her life. She saved mine after all.

"Last call for flight 5748 to Seattle, Washington."

"That's me!" I sniffled, picking up my duffle carry-on and hugging my mother once more before turning to board the plane, hurrying to not upset any of the flight crew. My eyes were closed before we even took off and the next thing I knew I was being ushered onto a small plane that would fly me as close to La Push as possible, a water plane that Davis hired. The flight itself was amazing because I sat shotgun, not row 23 seat d, squished next to some overweight man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a business man whose face suggests that his laptop bag deserves its own seat.

Instead, I got to watch Seattle and the tons of smaller cities and towns work from 10,000 up. The rain held off for once and I was able to watch the activity below with no obstruction.

"The view is always amazing from up here." The pilot's voice startled me from my haze, making me jump slightly. "It's why I decided I wanted to become a pilot." He admitted.

"I can see why, it's gorgeous up here. You seem kind of young to be a pilot." I was nervous for his reaction, I'm not going to lie, but he just shrugged his shoulders and smiled, his dark skin and dark eyes reminding me of home.

"I am, I don't fly for anything but fun, except for now. Your mom and my mom used to be best friends so I volunteered to help out when I heard you were heading back into town." He flashed me a white, gleaming grin and I couldn't help but smile back, as if his smile were an infection.

"Seth Clearwater is that you?" my eyes widened as I recognized the similarities in his face that I had remembered from the Seth Clearwater of my childhood. His eyes were still large and kind, his smile infectious and his laugh bubbly, but he was tall and muscular, big as if he were hit by 10 different growth spurts at once.

"Sure is Asha!" his grin made me smile, but I couldn't help muttering.

"It's Mel."

"What?" Seth's confusion made me realize how much has changed since I left, how much I have changed, even though maybe I didn't want to. I started going by my middle name in Alabama to try and avoid my name being made fun of, I changed who I was so that I would fit in and feel normal. I used the money Davis gave me to be dressed in the latest styles 24/7 and have the latest technology, but it didn't matter. Nothing could really make me happy.

"Nothing." I smiled. I moved home to be happy, that's what I would do.

"Oh okay. Hold on, were almost there." The nose of the plane started to dip and my hands grasped tightly onto the seatbelt.

"Eek!" a small screech escaped my lips and Seth's loud laugh made my tan face redden. My stomach dropped unapologetically as we landed on the water's surface, the landing gear creaking slightly.

"Welcome home Asha." Seth said once the plane had stopped moving. We were sitting on the water as some other people roped us in, people whose faces I couldn't see from my spot on the plane.

"Hey, you can get off now." Seth came over to me and helped me down from the plane. The other people had pulled us in to a sandy area on First Beach, one of my favorite places of the rez.

"Thanks." I mumbled slightly, suddenly nervous.

"Jared is waiting for you at Emily's house; they have a barbeque going in honor of your return." Seth told me, smiling. "I can drive you?" I wasn't sure whether it was a statement or a question, so I just nodded and followed him with my duffle bag on my arm as he tugged my luggage along. We ended up at a beat up SUV, rusty and white on the outside but warm and clean on the inside. I had forgotten the familiar scent of tobacco and old leather that had settled over everything in La Push, but I was pelted with it as soon as I opened the car door.

"Why are you smiling?" Seth asked suddenly. I jumped slightly before smiling wider and responding.

"I just really missed it here." Seth's returning grin was bright and wide as ever as he hopped into the drivers seat and gunned the engine, waiting for me to buckle up before zooming off to "Emily and Sam's", whoever that is.

"Jared really missed you, you know. It was really hard for him to be away from you, and it got a lot worse the past few months, he was just such a nervous wreck." Seth doesn't add a chuckle like I expect, instead he lets out a shaky breath and scratches the back of his head.

"Yea, a lot went down the past few months. But the past should stay in the past, so just move forward." I sent him a forced smile with warning in my eyes. Seth knew, and it's making me nervous who else knows.

"Alright, here we are." The silence was broken as the brakes made a squeak and the engine shut off. Butterflies exploded in my stomach as I opened the door and followed Seth to the house.

"Em?!" Seth called as we walked into the house.

"Kitchen!" a feminine voice called back. Seth's smile appeared and then he led me to a small but welcoming kitchen where a beautiful woman stood waiting for us.

Emily Young is Seth Clearwater's cousin who I had met a few times as a child, but I hadn't seen her since the accident. 3 long, deep scars dragged from her forehead to her ankles on one side of her body, the result of a bear attack a few years back.

"Holy cow, this can't be the same Asha I've grown up with." Her voice was in full disbelief, no mockery to be found.

"Same Asha." I smiled, stepping forward to hug Emily.

"Good to see you, Ash. Jared and the rest of the boys are all outside in the back."

"Thank you!" I shuffled forward to try and keep up with Seth as he walked out the back door to the yard.

"Hey Em, can you grab me-" a voice started, but then the owner of the voice turned and saw Seth and I and shut up. The sudden silence made the rest of the people at the gathering turn around to look at me.

Jared stood almost directly in front of me, but about 100 feet away. He turned last, but I was already starting to shift my feet to move towards him.

"Ayasha." He called my name and then suddenly I was dropping my bags and running to hug my brother again for the first time in years.

"Jared." I hugged him back tightly, tears streaming down my face. Suddenly though, a scent drifted through the air, baked beans. Next thing I knew, I was running for the woods at the side of the yard, bending over to toss the remnants of the morning's scone up.

"Well I guess that answers my next question." Jared smiled. "Baby is doing good."


	2. Chapter 2

Recap:

 _"Jared." I hugged him back tightly, tears streaming down my face. Suddenly though, a scent drifted through the air, baked beans. Next thing I knew, I was running for the woods at the side of the yard, bending over to toss the remnants of the morning's scone up._

 _"Well I guess that answers my next question." Jared smiled. "Baby is doing good."_

They say that not all those who wander are lost, but I've always wondered about the truth to that statement. Maybe some wander to become un-lost, maybe they wander because they are lost, or maybe they wander simply because they _want_ to be lost. I think of this concept that has rattled my brain for years as 20-something pairs of eyes focus on me and my slightly swollen abdomen.

"You're pregnant?!" Seth's low voice creeps up into a shockingly high falsetto. "How didn't I know?"

"Because I said "hey Jared, let's not tell anyone yet." And he said "sure sis" and that was it." I mocked lightly, one hand resting protectively over the minor swell. I looked over to where Emily and a girl named Kim that I had grown up with were practically bursting with questions. Overhead, the unavoidable rumble of thunder warned of a nearing storm that made me sigh in happiness.

"Let's go inside and I'll fill you in." I say rolling my eyes. Emily and Kim, along with Seth and a few of the other guys, hurried to bring the food inside as the first few, sparse drops started to fall. I walked slowly as everyone else seemed to rush, attempting to avoid the wet. But I had missed it here, I had missed the type of rain that seems saltier than pure, and the hushed silence it tends to bring. I miss the liveliness that occurs inside by the fire when the cold drops threaten to ruin the day.

"I'm happy to have you back, Asha." Jared's strong arm landed heavily on my shoulders. "Despite the circumstance." He kissed my forehead in a very fatherly manner, one that made my heart ache for Davis. Smiling at him, he moved his right arm down my waist and wrapped his large hand around the baby bump.

"Hi there baby, it's your Uncle Jared!" I playfully smacked his arm when the skies truly opened up and we had to make a mad dash for the door. Once we were comfortably seated and the fire was roaring in the fireplace, everyone turned their attention towards me.

"You don't have to tell them all, Ash." Jared whispered to me.

"Nonsense. Alright, story time." I took a deep breath, focusing my mind. "I was in an abusive relationship in Alabama, one that tore me apart first mentally and emotionally, and later on physically. He hit me for talking to my friends, an extra smack if I didn't come up with a good enough lie about where the bruises came from. I was with Mark for 2 and a half years, but I couldn't tell anyone what was going on. When I found out I was pregnant, I promised myself I would find a way to protect myself and my child. Mom and Davis tried to help me, tried to get restraining orders, we got lawyers involved, but Mark just threatened me. We decided it was best he not know about the baby, incase he decided he wanted custody. The safest thing to do for us was for me to come back and live with Jared." I stopped talking and looked up, seeing the girls with tears in their eyes and the guys starting at the ground, at me, and my belly.

"I am almost 14 weeks along, I don't know the gender yet, and I really missed all of you." Pregnancy tears spilled down my cheeks and suddenly I was in a group huddle. I laughed slightly before they returned to their seats. The oven dinged and Emily jumped up. Everyone broke into small little groups to talk as they finished eating when the door suddenly opened.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! I ran late at work and then by the time I got to the sitter's the rain started-"

"Paul! Asha's here! Theo! You have a new friend to meet!" I turned to see my childhood best friend, Paul Lahote. He stood, godly as ever, in the doorway with his soaked jacket open over a grease-smeared white tee-shirt. He had a little boy, maybe a year and a half, in his arms. The little boy, Theo, had Paul's stunning eyes and creamy, russet skin, but his hair was wavier than Paul's and his lips fuller. I looked up at Paul and began to smile before I felt it, the earth start to shift its gravitational pull. Everything in my body, every single cell, screamed for me to be as close to Paul as possible.

"God dammit!" I heard Seth yell, but I didn't care. I knew what that was, I remembered the legends and I knew they were true. I had seen the boys shift when I was younger and figured it all out.

"You just imprinted on me." I whispered. "You also have a kid." I stared at Paul in confusion before he launched into the explanation of Theo.

"My best female friend when I lived in Seattle wanted to have a kid before it was too late but didn't have any sperm, so I helped her out and then she got in a car accident a few months ago and passed away so I'm Theo's only family member." The shock must have registered on my face because Jared came up behind me and placed a hand on my lower back.

"Are you pregnant?" Paul's voice was even more confused than mine was.

"Yea, 14 weeks. I left the father because he was a dickhead." The room seemed way too silent until Theo started to make noises.

"Theo, this is Asha, she's very good friends with me." Paul told the little boy. Theo turned his large eyes on my form and reached out his arms, squirming from Paul's hold. I reached out my own arms easily and the little angel was plopped right into my arms. He was warm and smelled like the tear-free soap the twins had used. I hugged him gently and his small body relaxed for a moment before he pulled away. I set him on the ground and watched as he pushed himself up to walking and bobbled around to the various people at the party.

"He is precious." I tell Paul.

"You're a healer?" is the only response I get.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Leah's voice snaps out. A healer?

"Oh shit." Sam said. "Emily, can you and Kim keep and eye on Theo?" Emily nods as the pack pulls me into the kitchen.

"What the hell is going on?"

"You're 18, right?" Sam's voice was all business. I nodded, suddenly scared and shielding my belly with my arms.

"There is another legend about a healer in each tribe, one who utilizes the spirit of the tribe and is able to heal all with just a touch. Later it was found out that the healer had other spiritual abilities that help the pack, but healers don't start to develop until they are at least 17."

"So you think I am some spiritual healer? How would you know that?"

"Because Theo has been teething like crazy and almost non-stop crying. He hates new people but as soon as he saw you he wanted to be in your arms. Then your eyes did this glowy thing real quick and Theo isn't crying."

"No. I don't want it." I turned and left the room. I convinced Jared to take me home a few minutes after that, and passed out very swiftly. I slept past noon the next day, but when I woke up, Jared was no where to be found. He left a note on the kitchen table.

 _Asha,_

 _Had to go on patrol. Paul is home if you need anything, feel free to use this card for groceries. I'll be home soon._

 _P.S. the card is to Davis' account._

I smiled and hurried to shower and get dressed. The showering was easy. The getting dressed wasn't.

"UGHH" I yelled. I seemed to have popped overnight and now none of my clothes fit right. I dug through my suitcase to find a pair of yoga pants that fit alright and decided to embrace the bump, so I paired it with a nice long-sleeve. Pulling on my boots, I realized I had no way to get to the store.

Grabbing my cell phone, I called Emily.

"Hello?" her voice answered almost immediately.

"Hey Em, its Asha. Any chance you want to go maternity shopping with me this afternoon? I think something happened overnight and now all my clothes are Barbie sized." I joked.

"Of course! How about 3:00?" I looked at my watch and saw that it was 12:45.

"Perfect! Pick me up?"

"Sure thing mama!" I laughed and hit the end button before dialing Paul's number.

"Hullo?" his voice sounded pre-occupied. I bit my lip nervously.

"Hey, it's Asha. Any way you and the stud muffin can give me a lift to and from the grocery store?" I heard his gruffly laugh and almost could see him nodding.

"Yea, we'll be over in 5." The dial tone met me this time and I hurried to make sure I had everything. Card? Check. Shoes? Check. Coat? Check. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright little baby, let's go get us some food." I smiled, rubbing the bump that held a small, developing human. Paul's SUV surprised me, as did his changed personality. I guess you have to change in some sort of way when you become a parent. I remember when we were younger he used to ramble on about getting a truck, and from what Jared had told me, he had a truck until he had been handed Theo from child services.

 _Honk honk_. I looked out the window to see Paul's face in a semi-grimace semi-smile, as if he couldn't figure out which emotion he wanted to present. I grabbed my over-the-shoulder bag and locked the door behind me before running out to the car while attempting to dodge raindrops.

"Hey, Jared said you might be calling us." Paul said.

"Yeah, I don't have a car yet and Jared is on patrol, and I'm already having Emily drive me around later, so you're the next person for me to bug." I sent him a smile.

"I love that I got the imprint who was my childhood best friend and already knows about the wolfy stuff. I really got the easy end of the toss." I roll my eyes at him before responding.

"Jared said you had a really hard time with the idea that you were going to be forced to spend the rest of your life with someone you can't pick; why are you so okay with this?" Paul was silent as he drove to the small grocery store, the windshield wipers occasionally obstructing our view of the road.

"Because I _do_ know you, because I've known you my entire life and have had a stupid crush on you ever since the day you started standing up to me and challenging me, because that's when I realized that you are tough as nails and perfect for me. That's when I realized that even though you infuriate me, you are the only one who can make me not angry." Theo cooed in the back seat. "You too, buddy." He added quickly. I laughed to hide the fact that I was feeling genuinely touched, the type of emotion that can be dangerous to an over-emotional pregnant woman. We pulled into the parking lot then, to my relief. I was out of the car before Paul and was moving to get Theo out of his car seat on the passenger side of the car.

"Hey there buddy." I smiled at Theo and his warm eyes seemed to melt me from the inside out. "You are going to be one lady killer when you're older, just like your daddy. Yes you are." I cooed compliments as I fished him out of the car seat and held his warm body close to me. "Who watches him when you're on patrol?"

"Depends on the day and who's free. Quil and Embry love playing babysitter for whatever reason, Emily always offers to take him, and so does Sue Clearwater, sometimes even Kim." Paul shrugs as we walk into the store, grabbing a shopping cart and waiting for me to lift Theo into the children's seat.

"Well, feel free to drop him with me. I need all the practice I can get." My right hand went to my abdomen meaningfully for a moment before I started pushing the Theo-filled cart down the aisle. Nothing much had changed in terms of the layout of the store, despite the 10 or so years that had gone by. To my right was an awkward display trying to sell some new cleaning solution and multiple aisles carrying dry goods like cereal and pasta. To my left was the fridge and freezer section, and ahead of me was toiletries. I looked at my list and started with the toiletries. Conditioner and shampoo, razors and shaving cream, lotion, body wash, and hair product. A small sense of relief filled me as I got more and more shopping done. I turned to the dry goods area with Paul silently pushing the cart behind me.2

"How old is Theo now?" I ask Paul, attempting to make conversation with my soul mate.

"He'll be 2 in a month and a half." He replied smoothly. "When are you due?"

"February 14. That reminds me, I have to make a doctors appointment." I continue to shop, tossing in cereal and crackers, pasta and canned tomatoes and sauce. The back of the store holds the produce, where I pick up some bananas, apples, and cucumbers.

"Dada." Theo spoke.

"Yes Theo?" Paul spoke to the sweet boy. Theo was a quiet child, but it seemed to be because he liked to watch more than he ever really wanted to talk, not that he couldn't.

"Mama?" the little boy questioned. I turned my head to look at Paul and Theo, waiting for the response when an older native woman walked up to us.

"You have such a precious family, it's wonderful to see such a young family so well put together with so much love. And adding more I see too." Then she smiled at us and walked away. My emotions suddenly got the best of me and I finished up shopping with a scowl on my face as Paul and Theo conversed. We cashed out with Davis' credit card and then drove silently back to my house. Paul managed to bring all the bags into the house while I stayed with a sleeping Theo, and then we traded spots and Paul left. He had tried to talk to me in the car but I wasn't up for conversation any more than I was looking forward to getting my next pelvic exam. I called the one doctor in the area who specializes in woman and baby's health and made an appointment for next week as I put away the groceries and then I sat on the front porch and thought about Paul and Theo and mysterious baby until Emily picked me up.

Did I want to be Theo's mom and Paul's wife? Was I ready for that? I had shut Paul out as soon as he said I had been his crush when we were in school, a result of an abusive relationship. The truth was, Paul used to scare me when I was little. He was intimidating until I realized that he is only scary to me because I let him. So I started to stand my ground, and we became best friends. I always had an attraction towards him, and I can't say I was surprised when he imprinted on me, but how fast do I take this? I _want_ Paul to be there for me and me for him, I _want_ to be the mother figure in Theo's life, and I _want_ Paul to be the father figure to my baby. I want this to be _our_ baby and _our_ life and _our_ family. My Paul. Our Theo. Our Baby.

I stayed silent as I shopped with Emily at a maternity clothing store in Port Angeles. I found myself staring at the image in the mirror. My dark eyes, tanned skin, and dark hair all stamped me as a Quileute, but there seemed to be a glow that stamped me as pregnant, as a mother. This glow worked perfectly with the growing bump that was exacerbated by the tight maternity top and the comfortable yet professional pants that also fit the bump. I had gotten enough clothes with Emily that I would be set for the next few months for many different types of situations. I made dinner for Jared and I silently and ate while waiting for Jared to get home. I must have fallen asleep on the couch though, because I woke up to Jared carrying me to bed and was out again before my head hit the pillow. My dreams, however, were filled with conversations with Theo about the new baby. A conversation that Paul and I were having with Theo, about _our_ new baby. His new sister.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few days, I seemed to manage to get my shit together. I found a job at the library, one that would allow a maternity leave in a couple of months and then take me back again after. I found a car that was in my price range and not too old, one that I could easily maneuver a car seat in and out of. It was a 2005 SUV that seemed to match Paul's, and had very low mileage on it.

I had called to make an appointment for the baby and was lucky to be scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday. I wasn't nervous exactly, but I was definitely feeling something. My mom and I weren't together to go to this appointment and that scared me. Jared was gone a lot, always either at work at the garage or on patrol, which left me a lot of time on my own, stuck in my own thoughts. Pregnancy hormones made me question everything I knew was true, like Paul's devotion to his imprint and the health of the baby.

I hadn't really seen much of Paul and Theo since the shopping trip. I think Paul was giving me space to figure out what I wanted, what I _needed_ , but what I wanted and what I needed, was for Paul and Theo to show up and beg me to give them a chance, plead when I start to turn away. Theo calling me "Mama" almost broke my heart, because he would never know his real mom, just as the baby would never know it's real dad. Maybe Paul and I were just meant to be, and that we were each puzzle pieces meant to fit together, with each of our children lacking the parent that the other person could provide.

"Wow, you sure think a lot when you eat, Asha." Jared's voice appeared from the doorway and I stopped frowning at my Cherrios. His dark eyes watched me carefully as he moved from his doorway spot to the sit in the seat across from me.

"Doctors appointment tomorrow right?" he asks.

I nod. "3 o'clock."

"What is today's plan for you and baby?" I smile slightly, happy that my older brother was so welcoming and so accepting.

"I have to work from 10 til 6, but other than that I was planning to clean up a little around here and maybe make some cookies or something. How come?" I cock my head to the side, watching the gears spin in his mind as he tries to come up with some sort of devious plan, I'm sure.

"Paul and Theo usually come over on Tuesday nights, we order in pizza and hang out, if you're interested at all. He'll be over when you get home probably." I look at my watch quickly and shuffle to pull my boots on. I'm leaving out the door within a few minutes, rushing to not be late for work due to talking to my brother.

"Hi Ayasha!" Emma, the front desk girl, waved at me as I walked in the building.

"Hey Emma." I smiled back at her, lugging my bag on my shoulder. I walked through a door to the employees lounge and set my bag down gently, turning around and heading out to reshelf a cart of books.

The work day went faster than I expected and I knew it had something to do with the knowledge that Paul and Theo would be at Jared's when I got there. I have this feeling though, as if I wanted to avoid seeing them, because seeing them means confusing thoughts racing through my mind.

I slowed as I pulled into my parking space in the dirt road in front of the house and moved slowly to turn off the car and walk into the house. I was dressed in nice pants and a professional shirt and had flats on my feet, and while it was relatively comfortable for work, my feet were beginning to ache and I just wanted to be in clothes that I could move in. I opened the door quietly, closing it and walking straight to my room to change, suddenly in a mood to watch a movie in pajamas.

"Asha?!" Jared's voice called from downstairs. "Are you okay?"

"Yea, give me a second!" I call back to him, rummaging around my drawers for my favorite pair of pajama pants. I took my shirt off and changed into a sports bra and a loose tank top, folding my top and pants and putting them away. Completely forgetting that Paul and Theo were over, I headed for the laundry room, in the basement.

I didn't think about the fact that I was tearing apart the laundry room, I just wanted my pants, the pants I had spilled tears and melted ice cream on when Mark had started hurting me, the pants that my Dad had given my mom before he died and then she had given to me. These pants were my best way to combat the nasty older ladies that had been hurtful to me today because I'm young and pregnant.

"Where the fuck are my pants?!" I screamed, forgetting there were people in the house. I stopped upstairs to the kitchen and took out my emergency ice cream, setting it on the counter to soften as I go back upstairs to find replacement pants.

"Asha, what's wrong?" Jared's voice was at the bottom of the stairs as I thumped loudly down in a pair of sweatpants.

"I can't find my favorite pants. Not like it will matter much, seeing as nothing fits anymore." I grumble, pulling down my slightly too-small tank top. "Why am I so fat all of a sudden!" I complain. But it seemed to be true, I had gotten bigger from last night to tonight, my belly extending slightly farther. I felt fuller in my abdomen, as if the baby was pushing back farther than usual into my organs.

"Asha, you're pregnant, you're not fat." Jared gave me a look as he pulled me away from the kitchen and sat me on the couch. "Hang out with Theo a little before you go to bed, it will help, promise." Rolling my eyes, I obliged and moved to pick up Theo from Paul's outstretched arms.

"Mama." I looked quizzically at Paul. Theo keeps calling me "mama", how am I supposed to respond to that?

"I don't know why he keeps doing that, I'm sorry." He apologizes softly. Neither one of us try to correct Theo though, and I hear Jared clear his throat behind me.

"Sorry to bail, but Seth had a family emergency and needs me to cover his patrol shift, so I'll see you later. Bye guys!" Jared rushed out the door and that is how I found myself cuddled up with Theo Lahote in my arms, sitting across from Paul at 11:30 at night, talking to him about us.

"Like, I understand that you imprinted, and you have to know that I have had a crush on you since I was little, but where do we take this?" I blush.

"Asha, I have to think that we know each other more than we realize. We were best friends for years and you already know everything there is to know about the wolves. Jared tells you, Leah tells you, I tell you, whoever does it, one of us is always filling you in. What I worry about is you. I've been waiting for you to take the first step, I don't want to go too fast too soon with you. That sick bastard hurt you and I could tell something was different about you. You are still so guarded, even though you know you are safe, and you seem to put more hate on yourself than anyone else ever could."

"I-" I start to speak, but he cuts me off.

"No, you need to listen to me Ash. You are beautiful, and even without the imprint I could see that. The day you told me you were moving away, I was going to ask you out, on a date. I had fallen in love with you as we grew up, and I just didn't know it until you left. And now you're back and I am still completely in love with you and am not about to let you leave my life again. I love you, Ayasha Melody Cameron. I am in love with you and I know it's crazy to assume that you could ever feel that way about me this soon after moving back, I mean you've only been here for 2 weeks, but we have been together at some point every day. I watch as you let only me come near you. You trust me, and I've got to believe that you feel some way about me that's wanting a relationship."

I sat, staring at this man that I had grown up with, crushed on for years, and then left. I can't say that I forgot Paul when I was with Mark. I can't say that that he's wrong about me trusting him, but he is wrong in the sense that I _did_ have feelings for Paul. I shifted Theo so that he was laying down on the couch, and then moved myself so that I was standing in front of a silent, waiting Paul. He watched me and didn't try to get me to do anything as I moved so that the front of my legs were touching his.

"Asha." He murmured. That was it, just my name. It sounded wonderfully, amazingly husky coming out of his mouth.

"Shhh." I moved to sit on him, my body facing his as my legs straddled his. Still, he silently watched as I leaned forward, brushing his shaggy hair out of his face. I leaned in slowly, watching as his deep brown eyes followed my movements.

My lips brushed his, and as they did I heard some sort of deep, instinctual groan come from Paul. The next thing I knew, he was pressing his own warm, plump lips against mine, moving in sync with me. Before I knew it, the moment had become heated, and I didn't want it to stop. None of me did. I stood then, Paul followed and watched as I made sure that Theo's spot on the wide couch was safe and comfortable. Paul seemed happy at the position of his son and followed me to the stairs.

"Are you sure?" he asked me. I looked at him helplessly.

"Paul Joesph Lahote, I love you, I have been crushing on you since we met 15 years ago and I fell in love with you the minute I saw you again. Now that I have said that, please. Don't deny the pregnant woman of sex." His smile was wide and pleased as he looked at me in the dim hallway. He pulled me to his body and kissed me, following me up the stairs to my bedroom. That night was the first that Paul and I ever made love, and it definitely wouldn't be our last.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up the next morning to find Paul and Theo Lahote lying in bed with me. I smiled, remembering last night's events and realizing that Paul must have brought Theo in after I fell asleep. My bladder felt like it was about to explode though, so I carefully got up and used the bathroom, taking advantage of the time to brush my teeth as well. I quietly got back in bed, but couldn't fall back to sleep so I just lay silently, playing with a perfect curl I found on Theo.

"Move in with us." Paul's voice startled me, mainly because I though he was still asleep. When I look at him, I realize he had been watching me play with Theo's hair.

"What?" I ask, shocked.

"Move in with us. We'll get the guys to help move your stuff if you want. You can come sleep with me every night and Theo will have a female figure around."

"Like a mom." I breathe.

"He needs a mom, and I plan to marry you some day." Paul says matter-o-factly. I smile and look down at Theo.

"Okay. But first, you have to come to my doctor's appointment today." Paul's smile widens.

"Theo is a smart kid, he knew you were going to be his mama." He smirks at me. I snuggle my body closer to Theo's as the beginnings of fall occurred outside.

**Doctor appointment**

"Hi Ayasaha, my name is Dr. Herolds. How are you feeling today?" I smile at the middle-aged woman as she looks over my chart.

"Well thank you."

"And this is the baby's father?" she asks, looking at Paul.

"Yes." Paul beamed, making me smile in return.

"Alright, well I'm going to put the goo on your belly, it will be kind of cold for a moment, and then we'll look at your ultra-sound!" I watch as the doctor squeezes the blue goo onto my bump.

"Is this your first ultrasound?" Dr. Herolds asks suddenly.

"Yes, when I went to the doctors last time it was the only time I had gone. They listened to the heart beat and told me that I was due around February 14." Paul looked concerned.

"Well, firstly it looks like you are around 18 weeks right now, which would place you at a due date of February 1. However, it also looks as if you are having twins."

"Twins?!" I exclaim. "How could the other doctor not have known if I was having twins before?" my heart felt like it had stopped.

"Sometimes, especially when used early on in a pregnancy, the fetal heart monitors are unable to detect both heart rates, and if the doctor didn't use an ultrasound, then they wouldn't have known." She explains. I look at Paul whose eyes were huge. "Would you like to know the sex of both babies?"

"You decide." Paul tells me. I nod.

"Yes please." I smiled as Dr. Herolds nods, once again looking at the ultrasound monitor.

"You will be having 2 healthy, beautiful baby girls." I squeal happily as Dr. Herolds hands me a cloth to wipe the goo off and moves to get me the print outs of the ultrasound.

"Twins!" I exclaim. Paul appeared to be in shock, but replied.

"I know! This explains why your belly is growing so fast. I can't believe I'm going to have two little girls." I smiled at him as he helped me sit up, despite my protest.

"So now we need 2 of everything." I groan. "I'll pick up more hours at the library."

"Okay, just some information for you to take home." The nurse came in. "Most often, twins are delivered a few weeks early. Also, we want you to take it easy. From the files we got, it looks as that you have a slightly higher possibility of developing preeclampsia, which is a blood pressure condition that can cause issues with both the pregnancy and the delivery. So if you could just read this over at home and call us with any questions, it would be very helpful." She thrust a stapled stack of copied papers into my hands and I took it without hesitation, anxious to leave the office and take a nap.

"You don't need to work at the library, babe." Paul tells me in the car. "I know you're worried about money, but I have a pretty large inheritance from my dad, plus I own the shop which is a large income for me, plus we get paid for going on patrol and being a part of the pack. A few months back, Billy realized that he needed to find a way for the wolves to not be distracted by work, so he set up a fund so that we can get paid." Paul shrugged.

"By the look of this packet, I actually shouldn't be working once I hit 20 weeks. The nurse was right, my mother had preeclampsia when she was pregnant with me and my siblings; I'm practically marked to have it." Paul looks at me meaningfully, as to tell me to work as much as I could now, and then I was going to leave once I developed the condition.

"We should tell the others, I have to call my mom too actually." I dig my phone out from my back pocket and dial my mother's number. She picked up almost immediately.

"How was the appointment?" she asked breathlessly.

"How did you know about that?" I eye Paul cautiously.

"Your brother called me a few days ago. Now, how was it?" I fight to hold back my smile. "It went really well. It's a girl!" My mother squealed before I could finish talking. "Both of them." I finally was able to manage.

"Wait what?" her confusion was palpable, or maybe that was just my own.

"I'm pregnant with twins!" I squeal this time, along with my mother, who then yells to Davis that I'm having twins, who I then can hear hollering in the background. "I'm also due on the first of February, not the 14th, and there is a very high possibility that I will develop preeclampsia. I can almost hear my mother nodding before we pulled up to Sam and Emily's house. Paul idled the car as I finished my call, and then wrapped my hand in his. I looked at his dark eyes, eyes so similar to my own and yet so different.

"What does Mark look like?" he asks suddenly. I bite my lip, but grab my phone and find a recent picture of him.

"We bonded over the fact that we are both natives and that we both moved at a difficult time. He was from a tribe in Arizona." I explained. Mark looked like he could be from La Push, something that drew me to him almost immediately. He had the same russet skin tone as us, and the same dark hair. Even his eyes were the same tone of brown, but his appeared dull compared to Paul's bright ones.

"Well, at least we won't have to explain to people why we have white babies." He jokes. I tighten my hold on his hand before I lean in to kiss him. Our lips met briefly, softly but passionately, before we climbed out of the car to go see the others, including Theo who Emily was watching for us.

"How was the appointment? Did you find out the sex?" Emily attacked us as soon as we walked in, Theo in her arms.

"Are the boys here?" I ask to nobody in particular. Paul nodded as he walked into the living room. I followed him with Emily behind me, and we found the entire pack sitting and watching a game. Some were asleep, but I could smell that Emily had dinner started.

"Who's on patrol?" I questioned.

"Brady and Collin." Jared responds. "How was the doctors?" he seemed excited to find out the gender of his nieces.

"Well…actually we have some news." Paul starts. Jared's face flashes with worry but I smile at him.

"We found out the gender. And that I'm actually 18 weeks not 16 weeks….and I'm having twins!" Emily jumps up and down with a giggling Theo in her arms. "And, they're both girls!" Jared was up within seconds to hug me, and then he pulled back and bent down to my bells.

"Hey girls, it's Uncle Jared! We just found out that there is two of you! We are so excited for you." He then proceeded to stand up and go back to watching the game like nothing happened. The rest of the guys said congrats and most of them hugged me.

"I'm so excited for you! Do you have any names picked out?" Emily asks as I help get dinner ready.

"I had names picked out for one boy and one girl but I'm not sure for two girls." I admit.

"Well, you have plenty of time."

"Hey Asha?!" I hear Paul yell. I turn to look at him, and his face seems worried.

"What's wrong babe?"

"I actually have dinner at my house for us and Theo tonight. I'm so sorry Em, but we have to take off." Paul kissed Emily's cheek and she waved us off as we packed up Theo and his things and headed off for Paul's house. Wait, my house. Our house.

"What did you make?"

"Nothing, I'm ordering a pizza so that we can pack up your things and move you in here!" he laughed, pulling into Jared's driveway. I got Theo out of the car and Paul opened the door for us. We headed upstairs and into my room where my suitcases from moving were still mostly packed. I pointed to one of the suitcases.

"That one is already packed, never unpacked it." Theo sat on my bed as I finished re-packing the rest of the 3 suitcases left. One was maternity clothes, one was regular clothes, and the other was my toiletries and shoes. Theo and I waited as Paul filled the trunk of the car with my bags and then we got Theo back into his car seat as I drove my car over to Paul's.

I parked beside Paul's car and then moved to bring Theo and his diaper bag into the house.

"Mama." I smiled at Theo, who had continued to call me mama.

"My sweet." I brushed his hair out of his face, watching as his large eyes tracked my every move. I looked up from my spot outside of Paul's car to see Paul watching Theo and I very intently. The look on his face was one that I am unable to put into words, but I knew that I was looking at the face of a man who was in love with his family, and was seeing his family for the first time.

"Come on, we'll help you unpack." Paul closed the car door for me and led me into the house, making my close my eyes before I walked into the master bedroom.

"Okay, open!" I look around the master bedroom, which I had seen before but not like this. The floor had a white, soft carpet on it and there was another dresser, mine. The bed had a new comforter on it with matching pillows, all of a satiny grey color, and there was a small desk-like piece of furniture with a mirror on it, one for women to put their make up on and such.

"Whoa." I breathed. Paul kissed the top of my head before leading me to the dresser and closet and begin to help me put away my clothes. Theo say on the floor and watched us intently, and Paul eventually did order a pizza.

"Order one for you and one for Theo and I. After all, I'm eating for three." I smile at Paul and he returns the smile, frozen for a moment before he returns to ordering. I finished unpacking in no time, I guess I was in a hurry to spend time with my little family.

The doorbell rang and I scooped up Theo. "Pizza's here bubba. Let's change your diaper before we eat though."

"Mama and Dada." He replied. I kissed the top of his head as we went downstairs for pizza, but I froze in the kitchen, because there, on one knee in the middle of the kitchen, was Paul, with a small jewelry box in his hand.

"Ayasha Melody Cameron, I know we've only been dating for a week, but I've known you for your entire life." This was true, Jared and Paul became best friends at an accidental meeting at the grocery store. "I know it seems like this is going fast, and it is. But I love you. Now only because of the imprint, but because I have been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I was hoping to imprint sooner rather than later because I was trying to find a way to get you out of my head. Turns out in the end, that didn't matter. I want to be here for you, I want to love you forever and help you take care of the twins, twins who I hope will call me Dada just the way Theo calls you Mama, and I want for you to be Theo's mother. Will you marry me?"

With Theo in my arms and the smell of pizza in the air, and a pleading, in love Paul kneeling in front of me, I felt like my world was perfect.

"Yes! Yes I will marry you and yes, I would love to be Theo's mama and yes, the twins will call you Dada. I love you Paul Lahote."

"And I love you Ayasha Cameron." We kissed after Paul slid the delicate but beautiful ring onto my finger, and Theo giggled with pure happiness.


End file.
